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“Yeah” Keir nodded “Me, too” He moved into the small office, peered at the open appointment book on the desk and raised an eyebrow “Initiation by fire, I see Prince Ahmat from Suli-Bahr,” he added, when she looked blank “Don’t tell uy”

“You s all seven wives with him and that each wife must have different flowers in her roone fros, cooked for precisely three minutes, two slices of whole-wheat toast, unbuttered, and a pot of coffee—”

“Kona coffee,” Keir said, deadpan

“—a pot of Kona coffee, must be delivered to his suite at 7:58, not 7:59 or, heaven forbid, eight on the nose?” Dawn batted her lashes “No Nobody’s told ”

Keir grinned as he started for the door “GiveI mean it I don’t anticipate any problems but just in case you run into trouble—”

“Holler I know” Dawn touched the tip of her tongue to her botto me this job I promise, I won’t let you down”

“I’, Carter You intervieell, and your pit bosses wrote terrific recommendations—not that they didn’t all say they kind of hoped you’d change yourcards”

“Tell the to like it here”

“If I tell those guys they’re sweet, I’ll never live to see tomorrow Seriously, I hope you do like it here I think it’s the right place for you”

“Me, too Oh, and Keir, would you doback into the swing of things I’d have told her myself the other day but she swept by the desk so quickly—”

“I’ll tell her And just re to do fine”

Keir walked down the hall and through the door that opened onto the area behind Reception The front desk supervisor was on the phone She smiled and waved and he lifted a hand in salute as he stepped out from behind the counter and onto the deep blue carpet that covered the hotel’s vast lobby

It was crowded, which was always good, but the lines at the reception desks were too long He did a quick count andstaff to the day shift The Desert Song prided itself on treating all its guests with courtesy, not just the VIPS, and that included not keeping theer than three minutes His father had instituted the policy and called it part of the hotel’s hospitality Histhrough reception and personally welco

She was back to doing it, despite Keir’s concerns that she was pushing her recovery The Duchess had been the family’s rock-hard core since his father’s death o Her heart attack had shocked the hell out of theuests who had been co here for years

After fourjust fine, that she’d be as good as new Keir wanted to believe theet past how she’d looked in the intensive care unit of the hospital that first week, her skin pasty, her breathing labored, her body hooked up to all those damned tubes and lines